


Five Years After

by Reneewriter70



Category: Boston Legal
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 18:25:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2280069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reneewriter70/pseuds/Reneewriter70
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an introspective fiction set five years after Alan and Denny married. How are they doing?  Shirley Schmidt spices things up!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Five Years Later**

_This is a Boston Legal fan fic post season five. I don't own the characters and am not profiting from this work. This is my first stab at writing fiction. Hope you enjoy_.

Chapter 1

It had been five years. Five years since he had married Denny Crane. At first, he thought Denny had been joking when he proposed to him on their balcony. However it became clear as Denny's 'mad cow' had progressed, that marriage was a very smart option. Alan could see to it that Denny got the best possible treatment and care. He would guard Denny's quality of life as if it were his own. He loved Denny with all of his heart. He would make sure that Denny never lost his lust for life. That is the trait that Alan admired the most- Denny's ability to make the best of each and every moment.

Alan had always been too introspective. He often ruminated over past mistakes. Most of the time, his focus on the past had interfered with his ability to be happy in the present. Unfortunately, the majority of his mistakes came in relationships with women. Make no mistake-he loved women, all women. He admired them, respected them, honestly he very damn near worshipped them. He loved their smell, their taste, the softness of their skin. He longed for a woman in his life. The anticipation of a kiss, a dance, seduction. He delighted in giving women as much pleasure as they gave him. If he was honest, he prided himself on his skills as a lover. He had excellent teachers over the years, many of his lovers were older women who were not shy about sharing their needs and desires. Alan was an eager student, devouring any tip or technique that was offered. From a very young age he played doctor with the neighborhood children, he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't interested in all things sexual. He grew up in a very relaxed sexual environment and as a result had always been very comfortable with his own sexuality. That was a blessing--if he had grown up in an environment where sex was shameful--he shuddered to think how fucked up he would be now.

Alan's problems with relationships didn't stem from his sexuality, but from his inability to share himself emotionally with a woman. He found it ironic that with Denny he had achieved a level of emotional intimacy that he had never had with a woman. He could share his innermost fears, thoughts and desires without fear of judgement and humiliation. In that sense, he and Denny Crane were soul mates.

Still, it had been five long years since he had been intimate with a woman and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. 


	2. Chapter 2

Of course, Alan had chosen to be celibate out of respect for Denny, and their marriage. These days he wasn't so sure about that decision. Was it a reasonable expectation to put on himself? Five years without any form of sexual contact with another person? Why on Earth did he put such crazy expectations on himself? It was like he set himself up for failure and self-loathing. Alan sighed and took a big slug from his tumbler of scotch. The worst part of it all was that the object of his desire, the woman he had grown to love over the past several years was the one woman that Denny had forbidden him from pursuing, Shirley Schmidt. 

Alan and Shirley had become ever closer over the past two years. They effectively ran the firm together since Shirley's divorce from Carl Sack. They had managed to pool their resources and efforts and buy the firm back from the Chinese. Alan flirted shamelessly as always, and Shirley flirted back but always kept him at arms length. He noticed that she liked the flirting. In fact he remembered a time when she admitted it verbally to him, right in front of Carl, no less! 

He noticed how her cheeks would flush a little when he got near her. His favorite thing to do was to lean over, take a deep breath and whisper something wholly inappropriate in her ear. He was close enough that he could smell her perfume mingling with her shampoo. He had felt her linger in the moment just a little longer than necessary both just drinking one another in.

Everything at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt was almost as it was before he and Denny got married, except that Denny was not able to practice anymore and Alan was a partner now. Denny didn't even really notice really when Alan would go to the firm without him. Alan made sure his days were filled with fishing and shooting things. Sometimes Denny's day trips would be with his son Donnie and they would tear up the town drinking, smoking and picking up women. Alan knew that Denny had some flings over the years, and he sure as hell wasn't going to deny him that pleasure. 

Alan's fantasy life sustained him. He was always so self involved that it made total sense. He convinced himself on a daily, lately more than daily, basis that it was enough, he even tried to convince himself that this was superior to a real relationship. After all it's pretty hard to fuck up a relationship with yourself, he thought somewhat sadly. That's when he decided how pathetic he was being, and that he needed to talk to Denny. 

That evening after dinner, as he and Denny sat out on their back deck with scotch and cigars in hand, he worked up the courage to broach the subject. His heart was racing a little and he was getting sweaty, what the hell was wrong with him? Finally, he said, "Denny, there's something I need to talk with you about." Immediately Denny perked up while taking a drag of his cigar he replied, "shoot." Alan felt like he needed to just rip the band aid off, so to speak, and began. "Denny, I don't know if you know this but, I have been faithful in our marriage. I know we don't have sex together and for the past five years I haven't had sex with anyone else either. I know you didn't ask me to do this, it was something I imposed on myself. Alan paused and took a drink of scotch and looked down at his lap as he said, "now I'm not sure I can continue." Denny immediately looked him in the eyes as tears welled up in them. "Alan you didn't have to do that for me, I know I can be jealous sometimes, he chuckled, but I know how important a relationship with a woman is to you. I wish you would have come to me sooner! I would have never allowed you to give up such an important part of yourself. You're Alan Shore for God sakes! and I'm...Denny Crane". Alan sighed in relief. He should have known that Denny would support him, they were flamingos, soul mates! Alan knew this was part was going to be more difficult than the first. He had to be honest with Denny about his feelings for Shirley. Quietly Alan said, "Denny, I love Shirley. I always have. I think I fell in love with her the day she walked in the men's room and I told her that I keep an extremely clean penis". Alan laughed out loud at the memory. "I love her intelligence, her passion, her beauty and her love for you. We all love each other deeply Denny. We are all in this relationship together I'm afraid". After a long pause and several sips of scotch later, Alan waited patiently for Denny's reply. "Your right Alan, we all do love each other dearly, my love for you and your happiness comes before my jealousy and possessiveness over Shirley. You have my blessing Alan. I love you". "I love you too Denny, with all my heart".

Alan knew Denny was repaying his love and commitment to him with his blessing. Alan was elated. Now he'd just have to convince Shirley.


End file.
